Amid all the messages of congratulations and pats on the back, there was even a big kiss on the cheek for Slaven Bilic as he answered questions from West Ham TV after the club’s 1-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.

That the interviewer was Russell Brand offers part of the explanation but, with his repeated words of gratitude for ‘Super Slav’, he did also perfectly encapsulate the euphoria currently felt by West Ham United supporters.

Not only are they preparing for their final five games at the Boleyn Ground and then the summer move to the 54,000-capacity Olympic Stadium, but they are also now just a point off the Champions League places and looking forward to an FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United. The contrast with all the angst just a few miles across London at Arsenal could hardly be greater.

Results clearly frame the mood – and the inspired summer signing of Dimitri Payet from Marseille is the main explanation for the on-field improvement – but the impact of Bilic, and particularly his wider feel for the psyche of the club, should also not be underestimated.

His 49 games there as a player obviously helped but, for all the good work that Sam Allardyce did, he simply never got West Ham as Bilic so intuitively does. There is a parallel here with how he also galvanised a raucous fan-base during six successful years as manager of the Croatia national team. Indeed, in Bilic’s first interview after getting the West Ham job, his instinctive understanding for that potential advantage was obvious.

“I love these kind of special clubs,” he said. “It's not about the size. There is something special about them. They are a cult club. It is not only business; it is personal, it is emotional.”

Bilic also underlined this empathy in how he spoke with such passion about this year’s FA Cup and why there could be no compromise in his team selection. Although West Ham’s ongoing rise is about much more than just emotion, the power of that connection to the supporters can be positively sensed at every match.

Andy Carroll jumps for a high ball against Spurs

Recruitment has clearly also been critical. The internal analysis and scouting team has been improved and the manager has been backed, with co-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold probably surprising even Bilic with their willingness to spend relatively big money at almost £11million on Payet.

He turns 29 later this month and, while his sell-on value will be negligible, his worth in the here and now has been vast. The statistics are staggering and suggest that his influence has almost singlehandedly dragged West Ham from a mid-table team into a side that has already beaten Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.

Dimitri Payet, one of the stars of West Ham's season

The club’s Premier League win ratio this season is transformed from 14 per cent without Payet (one victory in seven) to 52 per cent (11 out of 21) with him. West Ham generally also more than double their goal tally with Payet in the team. He has made 76 chances this season (more than double any team-mate) and is also the club’s highest goalscorer.

It is a squad that should theoretically also get better. Bilic waited his chancewhen several others – including Jurgen Klopp and Rafael Benitez – turned down the job last summer. His patience underlined a wider appreciation of the opportunity that was perhaps overlooked by some of the other candidates.

West Ham co-owners David Sullivan (left) and David Gold

Having paid only £15million towards the Olympic Stadium and negotiated a 99-year lease deal that also mitigates many of the running costs, West Ham revenues are poised to soar. They have already sold out all corporate hospitality and executive boxes and, with more than 30,000 season tickets already sold, are confident of being at full capacity for every home game next season.

The opportunity for growth – especially in the two-year period when Spurs are constructing (and then largely paying for) their own £400million new stadium – is obvious.

“I hope we can aim for the Champions League in the future,” said Bilic. “Long-term I don’t have a problem saying it should be part of the plan, what with moving to the new stadium, with all the revenue, the fans and the size of the club. This season it’s not realistic but there’s nothing wrong with dreaming about it or trying to achieve it.”

Sullivan once noted that West Ham fans “want a dream, they don't want reality” but, rather more quickly than anyone expected, their dream is almost within reach.

Bubbles stream out at Upton Park

Five things West Ham have got right

Appointing Slaven Bilic

Not the first choice of the club but was willing to wait for his dream job. Has connected brilliantly with the supporters to create an atmosphere that has helped inspire players.

Getting the Olympic Stadium

Not only is the club’s longer-term financial potential reinforced but the nostalgia and sense of history in this final season at the Boleyn Ground has created an extra spur.

Recruiting Dimitri Payet

The talisman. A player who can threaten any defence and whose presence has transformed West Ham’s creativity. Bilic calls Payet “ magic” and says that he wants to write poetry about him.

Keeping the core

West Ham might have spent big money on adding creativity but they have retained an on-field identity and grit through captain Mark Noble and centre-back James Collins, who suffered a hamstring injury on Wednesday.

Improving the analytics

The success in the transfer market and also in the preparation of matches has been helped by added off-field analytical and scouting expertise.